St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-25

punches OF ShFubbery and aged trees,
[ but we were never allowed to stay there
papa kept US travelling from country
/ to country, from city to city. in search
of mOuldy pieces of furniture, antique
vases and bits Of crumbling monuments
of all ages and descriptions. until used
! to tell Maudie that we never should
again know the comforts of home or be
| allowed to remain in one place long
enough to become acquainted and get
married as other girls did.
Its true" she would say with
| smile of resignation. Papa cares more
/ to-day for the welfare of that Egyptian
maiden over there than he does for ours,
Bell
| L laughed little at this and glanced
| over at the still, straight form. wrapped
| IN coarse mating and carefully boxed,
| which papa obliged us to keep in our
| own room for safety, regardless of any
| superstitious fears which might trouble
! us or any fanciful dreams which might
| be inspired by the constant association
| with defunct damSel of 5000 years of
| age.
| 1t was a genuine Egyptian mummy,
| and papa expended more toll and care
( upon 1t than he ever did upon any living
I woman. besides dollars enough to have
/ pOrtiOned off both his daughters.
| And to crown all, he insisted upon our
T toleratihg its unwelcOme presence; we
must have an eye upon it constantly;
I he could not think of sending it home
without going with it himself. 1t might
| be broken by careless eXpreSSmen, a n
! its sacred dust be mingled with mere
| plebeian soil. and stronger reason than
| all, she might meet with some admirer
| even more affectiOnate than our dOting
| papa, and be spirited away like the fair
bride in the poem of young LOehnivar.
| But then we had long dweIt in close
/ proximity to the caSt-Otf bones of giants
and mastOdOns and relics taken from the
I graves of Druids, and Cleopatra, as we
had named her. proved to be not in
truSive companion after all, so we never
| thought of her unless it was when we
were talking over our grievances and
wishing that we might at least have one
admirer apiece and be like other girls of
our own age.
But we did not knOw-ahl how could
we know?-that that girliSh wish was
but the preface to a fate which either
Maudie or myself would have laid down
our life to have kept from the other.
All, why need it have been. How sad
to know that if even the strongest affec-
ton of woman be fully returned,
SOlDC uliuCIIN liz SOl1OW
/ pany it to mar the happiness which
would otherwise be perfect.
do not think two sisters were ever
dearer to each other than Maudie and
myself.
Maud and Mabel were our names; she
was eighteen and [ was twenty. We
were both brunettes and looked so much
alike that one was often mistaken for
the other.
MY own eyes told me that Maudie was
pretty and bewitching, and | was ever
pleased to be told that my sister resem-
bled NE greatly.
1t was the very day after our little
conversation i'll our room that papa
came into our presence fidgeting about
with excitement concerning a purchase
he had Just made.
81 have secured all the old pictures
and the plate belonging to the old LOr-
aZZi palace" he said breathlessly. "The
palace has been shut up for years and |
made the best of my opportunity and
bought up everything OF value as soon
as it was opened"
But how did they come to open it? I
supposed it was nothing but a ruin"
asked Maudie.
sit has just been purchased by
young American gentleman, who thinks
the pictures are worthless because they
have been mutilated somewhat. and
that the plate is but pewter, and he may
be right, but it is old and the crest upon
it would sell it in New York for ten
times the amount paid for it,
HE must be rarity-thiS American
who believes anything which belongs to
him is not simOn-pure perfection in its
way"
HE is a very agreeable gentleman.
nv dearS. " replied my father. smiling
Slyly, land is coming this evening to
attend the theater with US, so that you
will have chance to judge for your
selves"
''Oh. goodie,'' I cried. laughing. zone
does get so tired of going about with
only ones father for an attendant"
Il knew that news would please you.
Bel" returned papa.
''If only he is young" put in Maudie,
''Papa'S young gentlemen have a pro-
vOking way of turning into middle-aged
men who have Just finished some piece
of bric-a-brac warranted to be LOCO
years DID,
This American will turn out differ
emily" replied papa.
You are using the wrong word. papa.
Mr. Arden. the Englishman who intro
duced US to his family in Paris. called
US United OtdttS rs Ills HluSI Ot
United States'n, too"
''You have not told us his NAME"
said Maudie.
True. true" replied papa. despond-
ingly. "A name would be of no use to
the poor creature. Bel would manu-
facture new one for him in half an
hour"
II like to use names fitted to their
wearer,' | replied, lightly.
''Or hear them" concluded Maudie,
precisely. Papa, what is this United
States'n like?''
Il could not tell you," replied papa.
desperately. But | am sorry that
concluded TO sacrifice him. His peace
of mind will be wrecked forever
Papa left us at this juncture, and we
had Just time to brighten up our toilets
for the evening before dinner time.
Just at dusk the gentleman arrived
with papa. and Maudie and | could not
help but exchange cOngratulatOFy
glanees. for Mr.. Weber was certainly
an elegant and fascinating companion.
He was hardly what could be called a
handsome man. His form was good,
his hair and mustache were certainly
red. his eyebrows and eyelasheS were
undeniably white, yet his gentlemanly
air and fine conversational powers
would distinguish him in any society,
and ia that one evening in that little
Roman theater he made himself so
agreeable to Maud and that after he
had left us we agreed that he was the
most fascinating man we had ever met.
"He is ever so much homelier than
papa" said Maud. What is it that is
so charming about him. Bel?''
II think it is the fact that we have not
met another man except these little oily
Italians in weeks and weeks. We shall
have to look out or we will lie getting
Jealous of each other"
After this Mr.. Weber called upon us
very frequently. and together we four
visited cld-time prisons and modern St.